Time for reading this year has been hard to come by but when I have managed to grab a moment the two books by bedside have proved to be fascinating reading. A Plant Lover’s Guide to Snowdrops by Naomi Slade is perfectly pitched as a present for gardeners this Christmas. It’s the fourth in a series of books by the publisher Timber Press which focus on a particular genus – the others include dahlias, sedums and salvias. Naomi’s book is an enchanting mix of her love affair with these plants, a botanical study, potted history and guide to growing. Most of all I loved the approachable style of the writing. Sometimes books which are focused on one plant don’t hold my attention and can feel quite dry. Naomi has struck a great balance between being both informative and accessible.

The gallery of snowdrops – a selection of hybrids, species and cultivars – is a fabulous showcase for this plant and it includes a guide to how easy or difficult the various snowdrops are to grow. A particularly good idea, as some snowdrops can be quite expensive. I visited a snowdrop day several years ago and was gobsmacked to see the price tags – £10, £15, even £30 – on tiny pots with no more than a small cluster of leaves and a tiny flower stalk appearing. I would want to know my investment stood a good chance of establishing in my garden for those sorts of prices.

Seductive snowdrops

The diversity of the genus and the sometimes tiny, almost imperceptible, differences have made snowdrops a perfect plant for collectors. Galanthophiles as their known are incredibly passionate about these little flowers. I have always loved them. They’re the plant which brightens the January and February garden and they give hope that the winter will come to an end. Seeing them planted en masse at Painswick or Colesbourne is my first garden visit of the year and gives me the chance to escape outdoors. But I would say that I’ve never considered myself a galanthophile. I have slowly built up pockets of snowdrops in my garden but they are all simple Galanthus nivalis, or the common snowdrop. Having read this book though I am considering expanding my collection to at least more than one type of snowdrop. I was very taken by ‘Blewbury Tart’ and ‘Boyd’s Double’ but as both don’t include ‘easy’ in the cultivation section I think I might start with ‘Wendy’s Gold’ with it’s striking yellow markings.

The book is peppered with interviews from snowdrop experts, nursery owners and collectors and fascinating snippets on topics from snowdrop theft to how the bulbs increase using a kind of natural mathematics. It was interesting to see that galanthophilia isn’t just a British phenomenon with the power of this little plant to capture our hearts reaching across Europe, America and Australia. The information on how to grow is comprehensive, as is the guide on where to see snowdrops in the UK and further afield, with lists of snowdrop related events. And, if you’ve been inspired to branch out and add a few other snowdrops to your garden, Naomi has included a guide of where to buy.

Groundbreaking Food Gardens

The second book Groundbreaking Food Gardens is a really interesting concept. It consists of a collection of 73 garden designs created by passionate growers, from community gardeners and professional horticulturalists to garden bloggers and TV presenters, all based around the theme of edibles. The book is published by American publishers Storey so there is a bias towards North American contributors but it does include gardens designed by British bloggers Michelle Chapman of Veg Plotting and Emma Cooper. There are gardens to inspire whether you have a tiny balcony or the space for a biodynamic farm and everything in between. There’s an edible hedge, a terraced hillside, a design based on Asian vegetables and a cocktail garden.

Veg Plotting’s edible garden design

Our very own Michelle Chapman has taken her 52 Week Salad Challenge, which proved to be so popular on her blog, and designed planting plans based on the idea. Successional growing and making the most out of a small space are challenges most gardeners face, both of which Michelle neatly combines in her suggestions. Certainly if you’re fed up of soggy bags of salad leaves from the supermarket this is the design for you. Emma Cooper’s idea is based around creating a self-sustaining garden with an emphasis on space for recycling nutrients including composting, comfrey and chickens.

Initially I thought that because the book was mainly aimed at the American market it wouldn’t feel relevant to my own growing conditions. However, as I read on, I found it is the inspiration it offers and the insight into how growers in another part of the world view gardening and growing edibles that are the attractions to this book. It would have been nice to have had some photographs – the book is illustrated instead – but I understand the logistics of this, with so many gardens included and over such a large geographical area, that this would have been difficult and expensive to do.

So, if you’re starting to think of gifts for gardening friends this Christmas or compiling your list for Santa then perhaps one, or both of these books is just what you’re looking for.

Both books are available online or from your local bookshop.

Many thanks to Rebecca O’Malley at Storey Publishing for these review copies.

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20 thoughts on “A Christmas Read – Snowdrops and Edibles”

Both books sound really interesting. Like you I love snowdrops, but would not call myself a galanthophile. I would like to add a few interesting varieties to my collection of ‘common’ snowdrops though, so this might be a book for me. Have you read A Gardeners Guide To Snowdrops by Frieda Cox? That is also very good.

No I haven’t come across that book. Will have a look for it.It would be nice to have a few more unusual varieties, particularly the yellow ones. I have to admit the differences between some of the varieties are so small I think they are really only for the ‘real’ collectors. 😉

I love the idea of a 52 week salad challenge and instantly want to get started. I have quite a few leaves in various beds on the allotment but I doubt they’ll survive till April – there’s always next year though.

I know it does sound good. I’m not organised enough at the moment. My teeny greenhouse is full of plants for a photo shoot which has been postponed to the rubbish weather. I have nowhere to put any of my own stuff. 😉 I do think 52 weeks of salad would be a good New Year’s Resolution. Have a lovely weekend.

I keep meaning to get the ‘Groundbreaking Food Gardens’ book from the library. Careful with the snowdrops, my observation is that it appears to be deeply addictive, and that one small step away from just the plain old nivalis sets you on to the slippery – albeit beautiful – slope to becoming a fully fledged galanthophile!! Just sayin’… I’m saving my step on to that particularly slope for a few years time, when the gardens here are mostly under control and becoming established…

Ha ha! I’ve already started on the succulent obsession. Found a fantastic mail order nursery down in Cornwall. It was like opening up a box of chocolates. No space at the moment for another obsession. Perhaps just some yellow snowdrops though….. 😉

‘The Plant Lover’s Guide To Snowdrops’ came my way a few weeks ago WW. It’s a brilliant introduction to the subject. Naomi is so enthusiastic and thr book is well illustrated too. I split up a pot of ‘ Blewbury Tart’ bulbs not long ago. If they survive the shock you would be welcome to a bulb come spring.

Sometimes there are advantages to living in Switzerland, here you can buy G. nivalis only – so that makes it very easy. 🙂 – I have looked around for the odd different one, but nobody has any. Not that I’m really a Galanthophile, but it would be fun to have one or two different ones. If I can get my act together I’d really like to try the 52 week salad challenge, unfortunately I’m just too disorganised most of the time. But the book does sound interesting, always love reading about gardens based on growing food.

Sometimes choice is a bad thing, especially where plant and the bank balance is concerned. 😉 That’s exactly what I thought, just another one or two different types. The back of the book does include a list of snowdrop events & nurseries in Europe, I think some of them were in Germany. Perhaps they would post bulbs to you. I’ll have a look tomorrow and see if they are any. I’m not organised enough either to do the 52 week salad growing but it’s something I aspire to. I managed about 6 months of salad growing this year but longer than that requires much more planning. Still there’s always next year. 😉

I got the snowdrop book last year and thought it very good, I can’t resist books about snowdrops! Your review of it was very good and I think the book will appeal to beginners as well as as those who have plenty of different snowdrops.

Lovely clear reviews, Lou. I already have ‘Groundbreaking Food Gardens’ (how could I resist?!) which I bought when I realised that Michelle had contributed. It’s a worthwhile read and one that I’m glad I have on my gardening bookshelf. I haven’t seen Naomi’s snowdrop book yet but I imagine it’s in keeping with her warm bubbly personality and well researched. The Amazon reviews and ‘quick peek’ would seem to suggest that it’s a really good book for starting out with snowdrops. I loved the snowdrops seen at Cambridge Botanical gardens and Anglesey Abbey a couple of years back and want to start some off in the gardens here. The RHS spring show in Westminster is well worth a visit for seeing/buying a host of beautiful snowdrops! I’m looking forward to it already!

Thank you Caro. I’ve heard the snowdrops are fantastic at both of those places. A pity they are both so far away from us. But we’re lucky to have some great snowdrop collections not too far away in the Cotswolds. Yes, I enjoyed both books and Naomi’s passion for her subject certainly does come through.

A great review of both books. I especially like the sound of the snowdrop one, a must have for anyone considering starting a collection of these delightful little plants, as you say, some are very expensive.

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